McRoberts maneuver not recorded

Following a delivery complicated by shoulder dystocia, a child was diagnosed with Erb’s palsy. In suing, the plaintiffs argued the obstetrician did not employ proper maneuvers to dislodge the shoulder.

The defendant claimed that the McRoberts maneuver was used, but never recorded on the chart. Further, it was argued that labor progressed quickly after the dystocia was recognized.

The jury awarded the plaintiffs $750,000.

The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, of Nashville, Tenn (www.verdictslaska.com). While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.